High 5: Hike, Sunset, Stargaze, Moonrise, Wildlife Safari

OVERVIEW

High Five!

1) Heartrising exercise up 860 feet elevation gain over 2.1 miles. To catch that sunset we’ll hike at a pace of 3.5 to 4.0 out of 5.
2) Sunset from atop the highest summit of Shenandoah National Park (8:04pm)
3) Stargazing in near-pitch-black skies before the moon rises
4) Rise of a massively-huge, likely colorful almost-full moon (9:48pm)
5) Wildlife safari & eyeballs in the forest staring back at our headlights for 20 miles along Skyline Drive return home.

We’ll sit / lay back atop the highest summit of Shenandoah National Park for 2.5 doing nothing except exercising our eyeballs in the freezing possibly windy cold. Eyeball exercise doesn’t do much for heat generation. So BRING A SLEEPING BAG AND PAD, hat, gloves, scarf etc. It will be wayyyyyyyyyyy colder than temps in Cville!

The hike finish will be hop skip and jump 0.8 mile directly to the cars, making for a round trip circuit hike of 2.9 miles.

This adventure starts out with everyone waitlisted, and then as drivers sign up, folks will get off the wait list.

WITHDRAW/CANCEL-PARTICIPATION DEADLINE is the same as the posted signup deadline for every club adventure unless otherwise noted. If you are on the wait list and make other plans, please withdraw ONLINE (otherwise if you get off the wait list last-minute and don’t show up, and someone else could have gone in your spot, that’s a problem).

Drivers needed and greatly appreciated (104 miles total). Drivers please arrive with completely full tank of gas, then I’ll pay to fill up your tank upon return and give you a 50% tip! The more drivers, the bigger we can grow the size of this trip to let in any waitlistees. Thanks!

Wear non-cotton clothes, and pack: __ FLASHLIGHT/HEADLAMP*** (not cellphone light), __ MORE WARM LAYERS THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE needing including hat gloves scarf, very preferably sleeping pad / yoga mat and sleeping bag / blanket (we’ll be up on the possibly-windy summit for ~2.5 hours sunset & star-gazing), __ dinner if you want to eat at the summit at ~8pm, __ snacks? __ extra batteries, __ 1-2 L water, __ meds, __ extra corrective lenses if applicable, __ rain gear, __ whistle, __ SNPark pass if have, __ hike poles? __ camera? __ bug spray? __ t.p. & baggie? __ 6-foot leash, water and food if bringing doggie in your own car.
Everyone will be required to sign a liability waiver.
***At the carpool meeting location, I will ask each participant to show me their brightly-shining headlamp or flashlight, not cellphone light.

Meeting / departure location is: on Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA) at the Free Trolley bus stop just before that bus turns right onto Maury Avenue. If you’re on JPA facing Fry’s Spring Station restaurant (which is on the NE corner of JPA and Maury), we’re meeting at the bus stop / grassy area that’s on JPA to the right of that restaurant.

Community hike with local Sierra Club.

This trip’s leader is a Wilderness EMT and Geo Medic, is the instructor of the Wilderness First Aid & CPR courses posted in the club, and will be happy to help anyone in need.

~ father shred